Thermostatic flasher



Sept. 8, 1942.

G. B. DAVIS, JR

THERMOSTATIC FLASHER 3 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1940 Sept. 8, 1942.G, B. DAvls, JR

THERMOSTATIC FLASHER .'5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1940 Sept 8,1942- G. a. DAvls, .1R 2,295,202

. THERMOSTATIC FLASHER Filed Jan. 23, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 3 1 n .T nm. x 4. AW

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Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERMOSTATIC FLASHERGeorge B. Davis, Jr., Washington, D. 0.

Application January 23, 1940. Serial No. 315,265

Claims. -(Cl. 177-347) This invention relates to a thermostatic circuitcontrol mechanism adaptable solely and specifically to lights hooked upin series, as those for display and ornamental purposes.

I believe this invention new and novel, in that, instead of breakingcircuit to the remaining lights in the series, as is the case with thevarious flashers now in use, this mechanism accomplishes the flashingeilect by shortlng out the active lament in the individual globe and atthe same time maintaining the flow of current to support the remaininglights on the line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for having athermostatic mechanism flash two lights alternately, thus by divertingthe flow of current through a second globe the current to the remaininglights in the series is not increased.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flasher, rugged inconstruction, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture,easily assembled, yet practical and efficient toa high degree.

i anticipate and provide for the use o! this flasher mounted, either inan individual socket or in a combination fitting having a receptacleportion for receiving the base of the light or globe, ard a screwthreaded plug portion adaptable to Je screwed into any suitable outlet,receptacle or socket.

t In the accompanying drawings are shown the various possibleembodiments of this invention.

Fig. l is a sectional view of a socket embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the thermostatic assembly.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the insulated disk that supports thethermostat.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the insulating shell.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the invention as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a variation of the invention in aninserting socket.

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of the invention as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram of how the current may be diverted from oneglobe to another.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a socket assembly.

Fig. l0 is a sectional view of a socket embodying a. variation of theinvention.

Fig. ll is a sectional view of the thermostatic mechanism as shown inFig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a bottom view of the insulating disk supporting theinvention.

Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram of the invention as shown in Fig, l0.

In Fig. l, I is an insulating casing, 2 a receiving screw socket. Thethermostatic mechanism is afllxed to an insulating disk Il that rests onange Il and is held in a stationary position by grooves 56 fitting alongprojections I2 that extend down along the inside of I. Current passes inthrough 9 and into bar 6 and up to the base contact I. Current passesthrough Ill into bimetal strip 1, a resistor is connected with 1 at 6and passes around 1 and contacts shell 2 at 5. The operation of thisflasher is' t0 blink the light that has been inserted in the socket byshortlng out the current beneath it. In order that this can be doneresistor must be able to carry suillcient eurent to support the otherlights in the series. As current enters through I0 and passes throughresistor 65, the heat given off causes thermostrip I1 to bend forwardand contact bar 6, the other terminal to the lamp. This allows thecurrent to pass under the -globe causing it to black out. On the coolingof the thermo-strip it backs off breaking circuit through bar 6 allowingcurrent to resume its course through the globe.

In Fig. 2, 8 is the supporting bar, 1 is a bimetal strip, 64 a rivet forholding said bars together. 62 and 63 are insulating washers separatingbar 1 from 6. In Fig. 3, 56 shows how II is cut so as to llt along theprojections I2 inside casing I, The elements I6 andk I5 are slotsthrough which 8 and I extend. Fig. 5 is acircuit diagram of theinvention as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 6, I1 is an insulating shellhousing a receiving screw shell I8. Insertingscrew shell I6 extends upinto shell I1 and engages IB at 2li. Bar 26 extends through disks 2l and22 and serves as a base contact for both sockets. Amxed to 26 is athermostatic strip 21 around which passes a resistance filament 66 whichconnects with 21 at 25, and I9 at 24. Bimetal strip 21 contacts bar 26at 23.

The action of this mechanism is to flash `an inserted globe by firstlshortlng out the current beneath it, and in so doing the current isforced through a resistor, 66, causing it to heat, thus actuating bar 21causing it to move away from contact with bar 26 and allowing current toflow through the lamp causing it to light. The result accomplished bythis variation is the same as that described in Fig. 1 except that inthis case when current'is first applied to the mechanism the globe isdark and only lights when bar 21 has moved away from bar 26.

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of the invention as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram showing how, instead of shorting out thecurrent beneath the globe, it may be shunted to a second globe of equalresistance and in so doing ilash two globes alternately withoutincreasing the eurent along the series line.

Fig. 9 shows how such a flasher as that described in Fig. 13 may beconstructed in connection with another socket and screw plug 39 forinserting in an ordinary series. The elements 30 and 38 are sockets, 38containing a mechanism as described in Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 shows a sectional view of a socket embodying a thermo-mechanismfor diverting the current from one globe to another. The element is aninsulating shell, 42 a receiving screw shell. Bar 44 extends throughinsulating disk 48 and 53 and forms a central support for 49 and 48 andalso forms a base contact 32 for shell 42. 48 is aiiixed to 44 at 3| andextends down and makes contact with wire 41. The bimetal strip 49extends down through 53 and connects with wire 48. Resistor 36 connects49 at 5I and shell 42 at 50.

In assembling this mechanismin the insulating socket 40, bar 44, 48 and49 are placed through the holds in disk 53 as shown in Fig. 11, thenthey are bent together as shown in Fig. 12. The receiving screw shell isthen affixed to bar 44 as shown. The wires 45, 48 and 41 are brought upthrough the hole in the base of 40 and connected as shown, then thewhole assembly is pressed into position with the disk 53 resting on ange4|. This will prevent the mechanism being pulled out of position by thelead-in wires.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the mechanism as shown in Fig. 10. Theelement 55 is a rivit holding bar 48 and bar 44 together and alsoserving as a contact for engaging 49. The elements 58 and 51 areinsulating washers, and 54 is a rivet holding bar 44 and 49 together.The elements 55 and 56 are insulating washers separating electricallysaid bars.

Fig. l2 is a bottom view of the insulating disk 53 showing how bars arebent into position for wiring.

Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram of the invention as shown in Fig. 10.Current passing up through 35 and 29 through resistor 34 to illament 60causes resistor to heat and in doing so acts on thermostrip 49 whichmoves into circuit closing engagement with 48 throwing the currentthrough 31 to second filament 6i. Current is thus shunted aroundresistor 34 allowing it to cool and bar 49 will move away from 48permitting the current to resume its course through filament 60.

1. A flasher lamp socket organization for use in connection with aChristmas-tree series or the like, including an insulating casing, areceiving screw shell within said casing, leads to the terminals of saidshell, a low resistance heater in circuit with one of said leads andconnected in common with a bimetallic strip, said strip having a portionmovable for moving into circuit closing engagement with the other ofsaid leads when actuated by the heat from said resistor, said stripbeing located in position for eilectively shorting out said heater andsaid socket member.

2. A socket connector for a series-connected Christmas-tree lamp stringor the like including an insulating casing having a receiving membercomprising a shell and a center contact, a conductor lead connected tothe shell, a second conductor lead for supplying current to the centercontact, electroresponsive means within the casing operated by currentflow through said leads for periodically electrically short, circuitingsaid lead conductors by a connection having a low resistance withrespect to a lamp to be used in said series; a part of theelectroresponsive means being' in circuit relation tobe shunted alongwith the lament of said inserted lamp when said short circuit is made.

3. A socket connector for inserting in a seriesconnected Christmas-treelamp string or the like. including an insulating casing, having at oneend a shell contact and a center contact, at the other end an insertingmember comprising a shell and a center contact, a conductor leadconnected to one contact of said receiving member and one contact ofsaid inserting member, a second conductor lead connected. to the otherlcontact of said receiving member and the other contact of saidinsertingA member, -electroresponsive means within said casing operatedby current flow through said leads for, periodically electrically shortcircuiting' said lead conductors by a connection having a low resistancewith respect to a lamp to be used-in said series, a part of theelectroresponsive means being in circuit relation to be shunted alongwith the iilament of said inserted lamp when said short circuit is made.

4. A flasher lamp socket organization for use in connection with aChristmas-tree series string or the like, including an insulatingcasing, a lamp base receiving member having a shell contact and a centercontact, a conductor lead connected to the shell, a second conductorlead connected to the center contact, a two point thermostatlc circuitcontroller connecting said leads beneath said receiving member, saidcontroller including a low resistance heater in circuit with one of saidleads and connected with one of the said points ci the controller. thesecond point oi' said controller being connected to the other said lead,a' thermostatic member in heat receiving relation to said resister andhaving a portion movable for shorting out the said receiving member bybringing together the points of the controller when actuated by the heatfrom said resistor which is also in circuit relation to be shunted alongwith said receiving member.

5. A socket connector for a series-connected Christmas-tree lamp stringor the like, including an insulating casing having a receiving membercomprising a shell and center contact, a conductor lead connected to theshell, a second conductor lead to the center contact, a two pointthermostatlc circuit controller within said casing, and connecting saidleads, said controller including a low resistance heater in circuitrelation to one of said leads and making contact with the other saidlead through one point of the controller, the other point of thecontroller being connected to the second conductor lead, a thermostaticmember in heat receiving relation to seid resistor and having a portionmovable for intermittently separating the points of said controller whenactuated by the heat from said resistor,

GEORGE B. DAVIS, JR.

